Gunga Din, water – water !
Guess what ?
I got the water tied in down here at the house yesterday, so now there is running water in the cottage!! Yup, I had it all done and air checked the lines last night, then I ran out for a few hours. Well I got home around 9:30 and said, what the hell… So I turned off the house, drained the lines down and cut in a tee to tie in. It sounds like a 20 minute job to do the whole thing, but it’s a little more involved due to circumstances.
See, we couldn’t get the water line going up there buried deep enough as there’s so much rock ledge under the ground once the machine started digging. I had thought about using heat tape to keep it from freezing in the winter, but once it’s buried, what do you do when it goes bad in 5 or 6 years? And how do you know it went bad, wait until the line freezes and then you’re digging up the driveway in the winter, Sounds like a bad idea.
So, the brilliant solution? Run two water lines up there, and make it a loop, and then add a circulator pump in line and a check valve so the water can only go in one direction (around the loop obviously) and another check valve from the house feed so the water can’t try and back feed into the house system here. That picture is my boiler room wall and those are the two lines, the pump, and two check valves, but plumbing-savvy types probably recognized that right off! So now in the winter, just flick the switch to turn on the circulator pump, and since the water will always be moving, it can’t freeze…. At least in theory, I’ll let you know how it works next January…
And more exciting news on the cottage- my friend George is coming over today (yes, I know it’s Easter, I’ll stop working and eat a big Easter dinner) and we’re going to lay the ceramic tile in the bathroom and the the entry hall and kichen area. Yeah baby, get that bathroom floor done and I can set the fixtures and then I’m almost finished!
I am gona be fried today- I was up to almost 5:30 this morning. Last night I was screwing wonderboard down on the floor up there in prep for the tiles. Then I got done around three and when I should have been sleeping, a good movie came on I never saw so I had to watch it. It was called “Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession” and had Art Garfunkel, of all people, as the lead, and Harvey Keitel also, who I usually like. And Theresa Russel was hot twenty years ago also! All in all it was quite good and I’m surprised I had neither seen nor heard of it before.
OK, I still need to have my second cup of coffee, drinking Tanzania blend these last few pots, it’s a little mild for my taste, I like bolder African brews myself. Then I have a few more screws to shoot into that floor before George comes. And all my kids (yes, all four of them) are coming up to have Easter dinner at my Mom’s this afternoon, so it will be a busy day, I’ll try and post later and of course have pics of the floor. Alright, if you’re Greek (like me) or Russian Orthodox- Happy Easter!
